The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-14
BRAVE MARY COONBY.
She Risks Her Life to Save Four Men
| Who Were in Peril in Princess Bay.
Ffom "a Nelo York EneMino SIN.


From the Nel0 York Evening Sun.
Early in the morning of July 5, thirty
knot wind blew across Princess Bay and
hustled the waters in the liveliest way.
Under the Red Bank light the sea tossed
about as though the equinoctial had come
and small craft needed the bravest of sail
ors.
A catboat containing four men was seen
from the shore to be making an effort to
land. The sea rolled so high that the boat
was tossed about like chip, and the men
within it were drenched with the waves
that beat over it. The little boat was buffet
ed about, every moment in danger of being
overturned and the men were becoming ex-
hausted
1t looked from the shore as though the
men must be lost, and the only chance they
had was in anchoring if they could get to a
place where the anchor would hold They
beat about under half reef, and at last got
off the point occupied by the Manhattan
Fishing Club. Here they were able to cast
anchor, and had some hope of their riding
out the gale.
For some hours the men lay in the boat
drenched to the skin, half drowned, exhaust
ed. and almost hopeless. There was nc
chance of getting ashore, and if they re.
uldltleu bHeTe UuUOubu bIle ILBub unli SUI =
vived they would be fortunate.
But they had been observed from shore.
At o'clock two women and boy We're OBJ
served making ready to put out in small
skin 1t was a risky thing TO do The sea
was still running high, and an expert boat
man would have Eeeded all his skill to take
his boat over the waves. But these women
were fearless. They were Miss Mary Cooney,
Mrs. Dederick, and her son, Master Charles
BederCk.
Miss Cooney gave the orders with perfect
GOODNESS, and thought the little skif was
knocked about, yet the men in the Catboat
soon saw that somebody who was skilled in
seamanship was in command. 1t was a
long and at times very dangerous piece OF
work, but at last the skiff got near enough
to the catboat to make fast. The four men
were almost exhausted, but Miss Cooney
and Mrs. Dederick, helped them into the
sSiff, though the greatest caution was re-
quired to prevent both boats from capsiz-
ing.
The bravery of the women had been no
ticed at the Manhattan Fishing Clubhouse,
and not long after they started a boat was
manned bv volunteers. These were Eugene
O'Rourke, Sandy Dooner, Dan Mcfarland
and Dan Finn. These men had put on life
preservers and had also placed another kind
of life preserver, brandy TASKS, in their
pockets.
Miss Cooney decided to wait until this
boat came, for her little skiff was danger
ouslv loaded with the four rescued men. She
gave her orders to the approaching boat so
clearly and intelligently that it soon came
alongside.
One of the rescued men was very fat
weighing not far from 800 pounds Miss
Cooney directed that he be fioated to the
shore, and Sandy Dooner undertook to float
him. He succeeded, but both men were com
pletely exhausted. The rest of the party
was safely landed just about shutdown, and
Miss Cooney very modestly received Their
thanks for her bravery in rescuing
them. They told her that to them here
after she will be known as Grace Darling
Cooney.
Miss Cooney is fine-lookiDg woman, a
blonde, of splendid figure, and attrac.
tive in manner as she is brave. She seemed
to think that she had done no more than
any true woman ought to have attempted
But the four rescued men assert that
not many women possess either the seaman
ship or courage to face such danger to save
life.